NJCWG - Next Meeting

For NJCWG Members
Next Meeting - Tonight
Monday, August 22, 2005
6:15-7:00 - Chat Time
7:00-8:00 - Lesson - A Writer's Use of "Conflict"
8:00-9:00 - Critiques

Good News!

Sara Horn, a freelance writer associated with A Greater Freedom Communications, will be featuring both of my books in an article about "easy reads" for women. It will be published in Home Life Magazine (published by LifeWay Christian Resources out of Nashville) in their February issue.

Whopee!

Louise Bergmann DuMont
www.cafemochalight.blogspot.com
Recent Releases:
Faith-Dipped Chocolate: Rich Encouragement to Sweeten Your Day
and Grace by the Cup: A Break From the Daily Grind.

Writing Op - Woman's World

WOMAN'S WORLD
Bauer Publishing Co.
270 Sylvan Ave.
Englewood Cliffs NJ 07632
Phone: (201)569-6699
Fax: (201)569-3584

Editor-in-Chief: Stephanie Saible.
Contact: Kahleen Fitzpatrick, senior editor or Johnene Granger, fiction editor
About WOMAN'S WORLD:
Magazine covering "human interest and service pieces of interest to family-oriented women across the nation. Woman's World is a women's service magazine. It offers a blend of fashion, food, parenting, beauty, and relationship features coupled with the true-life human interest stories."
Frequency: Weekly
"We publish short romances and mini-mysteries for all woman, ages 18-68."
Freelance Facts:

95% freelance written
Established: 1980
Circulation: 1,625,779
Pays on acceptance
Publishes manuscript 4 months after acceptance.
Rights purchased: First North American Serial rights for 6 months.
Submit seasonal material 4 months in advance
Accepts queries by: Mail
Responds in 6 weeks to queries.
Responds in 2 months to manuscripts.
Sample copy not available.
Writer's guidelines for #10 SASE

Nonfiction:
Dramatic personal women's stories and articles on self-improvement, medicine, and health topics. Please specify "Real-Life Story" on envelope. Features include Emergency (real-life drama); My Story; Medical Miracle; Triumph; Courage; My Guardian Angel; Happy Ending (queries to Kathy Fitzpatrick). Also service stories on parenting, marriage, and work (queries to Irene Daria).
Pays $500/1,000 words.
Does not pay the expenses of writers on assignment.

Fiction:
Short story, romance, and mainstream of 1,100 words and mini-mysteries of 1,000 words. "Each of our stories has a light romantic theme and can be written from either a masculine or feminine point of view. Women characters may be single, married, or divorced. Plots must be fast moving with vivid dialogue and action. The problems and dilemmas inherent in them should be contemporary and realistic, handled with warmth and feeling. The stories must have a positive resolution." Specify "Fiction" on envelope. Always enclose SASE. Responds in 4 months. No phone or fax queries. Pays $1,000 for romances on acceptance for North American serial rights for 6 months. "The 1,000 word mini-mysteries may feature either a `whodunnit' or `howdunnit' theme. The mystery may revolve around anything from a theft to murder. However, we are not interested in sordid or grotesque crimes. Emphasis should be on intricacies of plot rather than gratuitous violence. The story must include a resolution that clearly states the villain is getting his or her come-uppance." Submit complete mss. Specify "Mini-Mystery" on envelope. Enclose SASE. No phone queries.
Contact: Johnene Granger, fiction editor

Needs: Mystery, Romance (contemporary)
Does Not Want: Not interested in science fiction, fantasy, historical romance, or foreign locales. No explicit sex, graphic language, or seamy settings.

Submission method: Send complete manuscript
Length: Romances--1,100 words; mysteries--1,000 words.
Pays $1,000/romances; $500/mysteries

Tips: "The whole story should be sent when submitting fiction. Stories slanted for a particular holiday should be sent at least 6 months in advance."

Writing Op - Resource

RESOURCE
Nazarene Publishing House
6401 The Paseo
Kansas City MO 64131
Phone: (816)333-7000, ext. 2343
Fax: (816)363-7092
E-Mail: ssmith@nazarene.org
Editor: David Graves
Contact: Shirley Smith, managing editor

About RESOURCE:
Resource is a denominationally-produced quarterly magazine which contains information useful to Sunday School teachers and workers interested in extending their knowledge and skills to their particular aged-group ministry.

Freelance Facts:
95% freelance written
Established: 1976
Circulation: 30,000
Pays on publication
Publishes manuscript 9-12 months after acceptance.
Rights purchased: First rights, One-time rights, Second serial (reprint) rights, Simultaneous rights, All rights
Editorial lead time 9 months.
Submit seasonal material 9-12 months in advance
Accepts queries by: Mail, E-mail, Fax, Phone
Accepts simultaneous submissions
Accepts previously published submissions
Responds in 2-3 weeks to queries.
Sample copy free.
Writer's guidelines available via e-mail

Nonfiction:
Focus on an issue, skill, or concern central to a particular age-group ministry. Topics include: skill development, inspirational/motivational, spiritual formation, roles of a teach, building community and fellowship, evangelism, outreach, organizational tips, etc.
Pays 5¢/word for all rights; 3¢/word for first rights; and 2¢/word for reprint rights.

Writing Op - Southwest Airlines

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SPIRIT
4333 Amon Carter Blvd.
Fort Worth TX 76155
Phone: (817)967-1803
Fax: (817)931-3015
E-Mail: editors@spiritmag.com
Website: www.spiritmag.com
Contact: Ross McCammon, editor

About SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SPIRIT:
Magazine for passengers on Southwest Airlines.
Frequency: Monthly
Established: 1992
Circulation: 380,000
Pays on acceptance
Byline given.
Rights purchased: First North American serial rights, Electronic rights
Responds in 1 month to queries.

Nonfiction:
"Seeking lively, accessible, entertaining, relevant, and trendy travel, business, lifestyle, sports, celebrity, food, tech-product stories on newsworthy/noteworthy topics in destinations served by Southwest Airlines; well-researched and reported; multiple source only. Experienced magazine professionals only."

Buys about 40 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Query by mail only with published clips.
Length: 1,500 words (features).
Pays $1/word.
Pays the expenses of writers on assignment.

Columns & Departments:
Columns open to freelancers: Length: 800-900 words.
Buys about 21 columns/year.
Submission method: Query by mail only with published clips.

Fillers:
Buys 12 fillers/year.
Length: 250 words.
Pays: variable amount

Tips:
"Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine reaches more than 2.8 million readers every month aboard Southwest Airlines. Our median reader is a college-educated, 32- to 40-year-old traveler with a household income around $90,000. Writers must have proven magazine capabilities, a sense of fun, excellent reporting skills, a smart, hip style, and the ability to provide take-away value to the reader in sidebars, charts, and/or lists."

FYI - CBA??? or ICRS???

For Your Information
The Christian Booksellers Association Convention (CBA) is NOW being called the International Christian Retailers Show (ICRS).

If you give it a little thought, the reason for this change becomes clear. Christian bookstores are becoming less about books and more about Christian "stuff." Every Christmas I buy each of my boys a t-shirt with a Christian message. I buy tracts for our King's Kitchen program, I buy postcards for absent youth group teens, I regularly look for bookmarks, mugs or other gift items for family and friends. These items bring a much larger return to retailers than the sale of a book.
So... the booksellers association is now a retail show...

And we go with the flow...

A Reason to Write Conference

A Reason to Write
OCTOBER 8, 2005

Ringwood Baptist Church
30 Carletondale Road
Ringwood, NJ 07456

ONLY $30.00/person

Get your registration forms in!
Only SEVEN short weeks until the conference!
Don't be left out of this GREAT event.

Contact
Louise Bergmann DuMont
njcwg.dumont@gmail.com
for your brochure and registration form TODAY

Information online...
http://www.louisedumont.com/ARTW.html

Terry Whalen - The Writing Life Blog

Terry Whalen has a wonderful blog called The Writing Life. This is really worth checking out: http://terrywhalin.blogspot.com/

Terry has written more than 60 nonfiction books plus published in more than 50 magazines. He is the fiction acquisitions editor at Howard Publishing, and Terry encourages writers (beginners to pros) at Right-Writing.com. To help people pursue their own dreams of a published book, Terry has written Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success.

Press Release - FREE Teleseminar

Terry Whalen
Scottsdale, AZ

FREE Teleseminar Sponsored by Annie Jennings PR
Acquisitions Editors Tells All!

Discover The Secrets To Getting Published With Acquisitions Editor Terry Whalin, author of "Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success!"

Wednesday, August 24th
1:00-2:00pm EST
(10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12N CT)
Sign Up At: http://www.anniejenningspr.com/terry-whalin.htm

All who sign up are offered a complimentary Annie Jennings PR publicity CD: How To Create A Media Friendly Book Packed With Segment Ideas & BUZZ

Teleseminar: Did you know that over 80% of all nonfiction titles sold are sold from a book proposal? A book proposal is essential to getting your book published yet, many authors have questions about how to create a book proposal that actually sells the book!

What Do Acquisitions Editor's Want? Terry Whalin Reveals EVERYTHING!

You get NOT one secret or two, or seven secrets, or ten . . . you get it all! 21 power-packed points of professional advice (called secrets) that can only come from and industry insider. Terry Whalin, buy books for a publishing house and knows about the proposals that sell! Terry shares winning secrets of an industry insider including how to:

** Cast a vision for your book
** Create a dynamic marketing plan
** Write a spellbinding sample chapter
** Get high profile endorsements
** Get more proposals out the door
** Avoid the mistakes that get you tossed OUT of the IN pile
** How to get the acquisitions editor's attention and lots more!

Don't miss this!

Please sign up at http://www.anniejenningspr.com/terry-whalin.htm

All who sign up are offered a complimentary publicity CD: How To Create A Media Friendly Book Packed With Segment Ideas & BUZZ!

About Terry Whalin: W. Terry Whalin knows and understands both sides of the editorial desk--as an editor and a writer. He is the Fiction Acquisitions Editor at Howard Publishing Company based in West Monroe, Louisiana. He worked as a magazine editor for Decision and In Other Words magazines. His magazine articles have appeared in more than 50 Christian and general market publications plus he's written more than 60 books. A journalism graduate from Indiana University, Terry writes a wide spectrum of subjects and topics for the magazine and book marketplace--from children to teen to adult.

*****

Contests - Writers Digest Magazine

~~~~~~~~~~~

Deadline: 11/1/2005
The Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition
Show Us Your Shorts!

Writer's Digest is now accepting enties in the 6th Annual Short Short Story Competition. Win over $5,000 in cash and prizes. Click here for guidelines and an entry form.

Congratulations to the participants in the 5th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition. Check out a complete list of winners. Winners appeared in the June 2005 issue of Writer's Digest.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Industry News - Bigger Type for Baby Boomers

Publishers offer bigger type for baby boomers

Nytimes.com has another article about the trend of some publishers issuing titles in larger type to accomodate baby boomers with failing eyesight.

"Faced with declining sales, two of the biggest publishers of mass-market titles, the Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster, have begun issuing new paperbacks by some of their most popular authors in a bigger size that allows larger type and more space between lines."

Poetry - Todays-Woman.Net

All Poetry - All The Time
http://www.todays-woman.net/

Contest - Essays - Lantern Books

Lantern Books 2005 Essay Competition
DeadlineSat, 12/31/2005
Categories - Nonfiction
Fees - None.
Prizes - $1000 first prize. $500 second prize. $250 third prize

Description - The aim of our essay competition is to allow new thinking to emerge on the key subjects of Lantern's publishing program and to encourage new voices to step forward to shape the debate of the future. Please read the rules and guidelines below.

Subject - We'd like essays to focus on the animal advocacy, vegetarian, or environmental movements.We encourage those wishing to enter to familiarize themselves with Lantern's core subject areas by exploring our website.Judges will be looking for originality of vision, knowledge of the subject, skill in presenting an argument, and literary merit.

Essays should be no longer than 1500 words.

Anyone of any age can submit an essay from anywhere in the world, but all essays should be in standard English.

Do not include your name, address, or other identifying information within the essay itself. This is to ensure that your essay will be judged anonymously. Essays should be submitted as an email attachment in rich text (.RTF) format or in Microsoft Word (.DOC) format and mailed to essay@lanternbooks.com.

Please include the following information within the body of the email:
Name
Address
Phone number
Email address

If you cannot email your essay, you may mail it double-spaced, double-sided to Lantern's address:
Lantern Books
Attn: Essay Competition
One Union Square West, Suite 201
New York, NY 10003

Include your name, mailing address, email, and phone number in a separate cover letter included with your essay.

Visit website for complete rules.
http://lanternbooks.com/essay.php

Contact Info
Olivia LanePublishing AssociateLantern Books
essay@lanternbooks.com
212 414 2275 x10

Website
http://www.lanternbooks.com/

A number of our NJCWG members still struggle with Show vs Tell issues. Dancing Word Writers is hosting an online workshop this Friday (8/19/05) at 9:00 p.m.

Online workshops offer a wonderful chance to interact with a variety of writers - those that are established in the writing industry and others who are just starting out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below is a message from Anne McDonald,

Publisher/Editor,

Dancing Word Writers Network

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Lynn Coleman's "Show V. Tell" workshop has been rescheduled for this Friday beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific in the Dancing Word Chat Room. Be sure to join us and bring your WIP (work in progress). We'll be working.

Lynn has donated a copy of her latest release FIGHTING FOR BREAD AND ROSES for a drawing during the workshop. To learn more about Lynn read her Author Spotlight at www.dancingword.net/aslynncoleman.htm and visit her website at www.lynncoleman.com.

To join Friday's chat, go to www.dancingword.net/chatroom.htm. This will take you to a new window. Once it has loaded, follow the directions to enter the chat room. If this is your first time to the chat, it is recommend that you do a practice run prior to the chat night.

Those wanting to use IRC or mIRC will need to go to: http://www.centralchat.net/help/mircdownload.php and download the free software. The regular IRC or mIRC will not work in the new chat room.

To enter the chat room with the new software type: /join #dancingword. If you have difficulties with the chat room, please contact me at dancingword@dancingword.net.

Blessings!

Annie
Anne McDonald
Publisher/Editor
Dancing Word Writers Network
www.dancingword.net

Writing Op - Family Circle Magazine

FAMILY CIRCLE MAGAZINE
Gruner & Jahr
375 Lexington Ave.
New York NY 10017-5514
Phone: (212)499-2000
Fax: (212)499-1987
Website: www.familycircle.com
Website: fcfeedback@familycircle.com
Executive Editor: Betty Wong.
Editor-in-Chief: SusanUngaro.
Magazine published every 3 weeks

"We are a national women's service magazine which covers many stages of a woman's life, along with her everyday concerns about social, family, and health issues. Submissions should focus on families with children ages 8-16."

Key To This Market: Break inwith "Women Who Make A Difference."
80% freelance written
Established: 1932
Circulation: 4,200,000

"We look for well-written, well-reported stories told through interesting anecdotes and insightful writing. We want well-researched service journalism on all subjects."

No fiction or poetry.
Buys 200 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Query with SASE.
Length: 1,000–2,500 words.
Pays $1/word.
Submission method: Query with published clips andSASE.

NJCWG Sample Writing Booklet

The NJCWG is shaping up nicely. Here is a message from our Editor, Clare Cartagena.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

FROM CLARE
Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry for the Sample Booklet. It is now in the editing/formatting stage. If you still have not submitted but would like to, get a move on it. Entries need to be in by 8/24. After that you will incur a stiff penalty. It's called "disappointment" when your name and writing does not appear in the official NJCWG Sample Book.

Also IMPORTANT --- All writer's need to submit a 60 word bio; a little blurb about yourself. If you need suggestions I can forward some examples your way. E-mail me at Writ10wrd@aol.com

Worst Writing Advice

My area of expertise -- Chocolate & Coffee
White Chocolate-Coffee Ice Cream Affogato
Recipe at:
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/dianas/recipeID/2220/Recipe.cfm

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW... or NOT...
A number of writers recently began discussing advice we'd been given when we began our career's. After a bit of thought I decided that the worst advice I was given is, "Only write what you know." At first this sounds like it makes sense. After all, how can someone write what they don't know? They can't... but here is the catch -- they can LISTEN to experts on a wide range of subjects, LEARN about things outside of their current interests, and GROW beyond boundaries they set for themselves in the past.

HOW TO WRITE WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW
Find a subject that you've always wanted to know more about, then Listen, Learn and Grow.

Tap into expert knowledge. Listen carefully to the expert's ranting and read items written on the subject you've chosen. Reinforce your writing with quotes from those who know more than you do about the subject and who are acknowledged as experts in their field. Learn from them. Summarize their theory, compile their facts and grow your story from what you've learned. You don't have to be the expert -- you simply need to find others who are.

WINNERS ALL AROUND
The Expert -- Many experts are not writers. They are grateful for your area expertise (writing) and your ability to help them share the knowledge they've gathered.
The Reader -- Readers get the benefit of your writing ability and the knowledge of numerous experts you've interviewed and researched.
The Author -- The author (you) gets clips, credit and compensation for their labor.

Now get out there and write your next article on something you don't know... yet!

Louise Bergmann DuMont
www.cafemochalight.blogspot.com

Quotable Quote

A chinchilla owned by M. F. Chapman,
the first man to domestica the animals

"What do you suppose it means when your manuscript comes back to you like a well-hurled boomerang? It doesn't mean you're a brain-damaged churl who couldn't write your name in the dirt with a stick. It doesn't mean your story stinks on ice. It doesn't mean you should forget about writing and pay more attention to those ads promising high profits raising chinchillas in your bathtub.

All it means is that a particular editor didn't want to buy a particular story on a particular day."

-- Lawrence Block, from his book -- Telling Lies for Fun & Profit

Top 100 Paying Markets - Writer's Digest

For two free issues of Writer's Digest, go to:
https://secure.palmcoastd.com/pcd/document?ikey=0768PIW01


Here is the link to the top 100 Paying Markets as listed by Writer's Digest Magazine.
http://www.writersdigest.com/topics/wdtop100_listing04.asp

A Reason to Write Conference

A REASON TO WRITE -- CONFERENCE UPDATE
GENERAL INFO
Things are moving along in regard to our October 8, 2005 - A Reason To Write Conference. For those of you who get the Suburban Trends, you may have noticed that Sunday's Trends (8/14/05) carried a 1/4 page article on our upcoming conference. This was in response to a press release I sent to various newspapers. A number of requests for brochures came to me shortly after the article appeared. A PRWeb press release went out today - nationwide.

TEACHING STAFF
We had one little glitch in our teaching roster. The bad news is that Dr. Valeria Lovelace will not be able to teach the children's writing sessions. The good news is that God already knew about this bump in the road and prepared a substitute before I needed one. The day before I got the news that Valeria could not teach, Kathryn Mackel contacted me asking to teach additional sessions at our conference. Her skills as a suspense novelist are what I originally coveted but she is also an award winning children's author. Those who signed up for our conference expecting sessions on writing for children will not be disappointed. For more info regarding Kathryn Mackel and her books you can go to: http://kathrynmackel.com/

I've revised the brochure for future mailings and have updated the website. Please continue to send prospective attendees to the website or have them email me for a brochure and registration form -- http://www.louisedumont.com/ARTW.html

DOOR PRIZES / GIVE-AWAYS
I sent out a few emails to writer friends last week and was blessed by numerous responses (Brandilyn Collins, Carmen Leal & Bryan Davis to name a few). We'll have a ton of autographed books, CD's and chachkas to give away as door prizes and a few members of our teaching staff will bring books for a signing as well. This should add to the excitement and fun.

JUST A REMINDER ABOUT MAY 13, 2006
I just want to remind you all even though we are gearing up for the October 8 conference, I haven't forgotten about our May 13, 2006 conference with Cecil Murphey. There will be a flier in our October conference packet that lets all our October attendees know about that conference too. Keep that date open. You won't want to miss sitting under Cec's teaching.

FOR NJCWG MEMBERS ONLY
On Friday, October 7 (the evening before the conference) I will need a crew of workers to help me set up conference tables & chairs and a number of other members to stuff conference registration packets. Please contact me as soon as possible to let me know if you can help with this (spouses, teenage children or friends willing to help are also welcome). We will meet at the church at 6:00 p.m. (I'll order a few pizza's) and I hope to be done no later than 9:00 p.m.
EMAIL ME AT: njcwg.dumont@gmail.com